Spring forming apparatus



Jan. 21, 1958 M. J. K ELTZ SPRING FORMING APPARATUS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Nov. 2, 1953 IN V EN TOR.

Jan. 21, 1958 Filed NOV. 2, 1953 M. J. KELTZ 2,820,488

SPRING FORMING APPARATUS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 R I: 1 R lllllllllllllllllllllll 1111111!!! United States Patent 2,820,488 SRRING FORMING APPARATUS Max J. Keltz, Springfield, Mass., assignor to Perkins Machine and Gear Company, West Springfield, Mass., a corporation of Massachusetts Application Novemher 2, 1953, Serial No. 389,749 4 Claims. (Cl. 140-78) This invention relates to new and useful improvements in apparatus for forming springs from rods, wire and the like and it is directed more particularly to improvements in apparatus shown and described in Letters Patent, to Hoelsch, No. 2,655,,73 dated October 20, i953.

The principal objects of the invention are directed to spring forming apparatus which is constructed and arranged to form successive, separate, springs of various diameters, pitches and lengths.

According to novel features of the invention, during operations of the apparatus, the diameter of a spring, as well as the pitch thereof, may be varied and the spring may be cut to any predetermined length. That is, the apparatus is capable of forming a spring having a uniform diameter or a varying diameter. For instance, the spring may have the shape of an hour glass while at the same time the winding pitch may be uniform or varied either as in a straight conventional spring or in a spring of hour glass or some other shape and a cut off mechanism may operate so as to cut oil the springs to the desired length.

Spring machines are known which are adapted to wind springs of various diameters and pitches but the machine of this invention is adapted to vary either the diameter or the pitch, or both, automatically and to cut off springs of any predetermined lengths.

To facilitate a clear understanding of the novel features of the invention to be hereinafter disclosed, the operation of the machine will be described in a general way.

Wire from a coil is supplied to the machine and is coiled into the form of a spring. The diameter of the wire may be varied and the spring may be made in various diameters and pitches and finally the spring is cut off to a predetermined length.

' In forming a spring or successive springs, the diameter may be varied by adjustment of the winding or coiling means. That is, while a spring is being formed by winding, the means for determining the diameter may be adjusted so that the spring will have a non-uniform diameter. As an example, the spring may be in the shape of an hour glass, or the spring may be conventional in form so as to have a uniform diameter.

Also, as the spring is being formed, the pitch may be varied so that the pitch throughout the length thereof is non-uniform. Otherwise, the spring may have a uniform pitch. This makes it possible to provide a spring wherein certain convolutions thereof are closer together than other convolutions thereof and the varying of the pitch is possible, whether the spring is of uniform diameter or of some special shape such as the hour glass referred to. In some cases, it is desired that an end or opposite ends of a spring have the convolutions in close adjacency and same is made possible by means of this invention.

A cut-off mechanism operates so as to cut-off successively formed springs and is adjustable so as to provide springs of various predetermined lengths regardless of the diameter or pitch of the spring being formed.

All of the above cited objects, 1 accomplish by means Faten ted Jan. 21, 1958 'of, as will fully appear by a perusal of the description below and by various specific features which will be hereinafter set forth.

To these above and other ends and with the foregoing and various other features and advantages and objects of my invention as will become more readily apparent as the description proceeds, my invention consists in certain novel features of construction and in the combination and arrangement of parts as will be hereinafter more particularly pointed out in the claims hereunto annexed and more fully described and referred to in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein:

Fig. 1 is a front elevational view of spring coiler apparatus embodying the novel features of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the mechanism for cutting off formed springs;

Figs. 3 and 4 are elevational and edge views respectively of pitch determining means of the apparatus shown in Fig. 1;

Figs. 5 and 6 are edge and plan views respectively of the actuating means for the diameter determining mechanism of the apparatus; and

Fig. 7 is a rear elevational view of the apparatus shown in Fig. 1.

Referring more to the drawing more in detail, and referring more particularly to the preferred form of my invention selected for illustrative purposes, I have shown a base 2 which has a frame or housing 4 secured thereto and extending upwardly therefrom.

As in the Hoelsch patent previously referred to, a rod or wire is fed to a bite of feed rolls 8 and 10, which are fixed to shafts 12 and 14 having intermeshing gears such as in fixed thereto. An arm 18 in which shaft 12 is journalled is pivoted at 20 to the frame and a stud 22 threaded in the frame acts on so as to swing the arm towards the frame to provide the desired feeding pressure of the rolls 8 and 10. One of the roll shafts is driven as will later appear.

The wire is fed by the rolls downwardly between guide plates 24 secured to the frame and strikes the upper end of a coiling point 26 carried by the inner end of a lever 28 swingable on the frame at 30. The coiling member turns the wire up around a pin 32 so as to form the convolutions of a spring. The lever is swingable to vary the distance between the upper end of the coiling point 26 and lower end of the guide plates 24. The distance between the coiling point and lower end of plates 24 determines the diameter of the spring.

An arm 34 pivoted at 36 in the frame carries a screw 38 which abuts a portion 28 of lever 28 to hold the lever against swinging. This arm 34 is not used when the lever is actuated by or under the control of mechanism to be described.

Pitch tools 40 and 42 are carried by rods 44 and 46 which are slidable horizontally in the frame as in the Hoelsch patent. According to whether a left or right hand spring is desired, one tool is swung upwardly so as to be engaged by the convolutions of wire as they are being formed. Moving that one pitch tool in or out relative to the frame determines the pitch of the convolutions of the spring.

An actuating rod 50 is slidable horizontally in the frame and engages an ear 52 of a lever 54 which is pivoted at 56 to a bearing part 58 of the frame (see Fig. .7). As the lever is swung by rod 50, the rods 44 and 46 carrying the pitch tools 40 and 42 are moved to establish apredetermined pitch of the spring being formed, as in the Hoelsch patent referred to. Cut-off mechanism forming a part of the invention includes a bracket 60 secured to the front of the frame '82 and 58 carried by the frame.

aeaoass t to the blade 66. A connecting rod 74' is pivoted at 76 to lever 72 and said rod is connected to a mechanism later to be described.

A drive shaft 80 (see Fig. 7) is journalled in bearings A worm 84 is rotatable thereon and has one or more teeth 86 on its end. Said worm meshes with a worm gear 88'having side flanges, fixed on roll shaft 14 to which a gear, like gear 16, is fixed and which meshes withthe gear 16 of roll shaft 12. As the worm 34 is rotated, thefeed rolls are rotated simultaneously.

A clutch 90 is reciprocable on the drive shaft 80 and is held against rotation thereon as by a key and slot connection of well known form. Said clutch has one or more teeth such as 92 and 94 on opposite ends. With the teeth 92 and 86 of the clutch and worm 84 in engagement, the worm is operatively connected to the shaft 80 so that shaft 14 is rotated throughout the worm 84 and worm gear 88.

A cam 98 and a gear 100 and integral are rotatable with shaft 30 and have a part 102 journalled in a bearing 104 secured to and extending upwardly from the base 2 (see'Fig. 7). A gear 106 in mesh with the gear 100 is journalled in the bearing 104 and the cam 98 has one or more teeth or lugs such as 108 extending therefrom. The connecting rod 74 of the cut-off mechanism is pivotally connected at 110 to the gear 106 whereby said mechanism is actuated as gear 106 is rotated.

When clutch 90 isshifted to the right, from'the position shown in Fig. 7, teeth 94 and 108 areengaged.

Then'the worm gear 88 is no longer driven so that the feed rolls stop rotating but cam 98 and gear 100 are driven so as-to drive-gear 106 to operate the cut-off mechanism.

Upper and lower shafts 114 and 116 having outer threaded ends are journalled on horizontal axes in the frame. Shaft 114 may be called the spring pitch shaft andthe shaft 116'the'springdiameter shaft. Said shafts are operatively-connected by gears 118 and 120 fixed theretoa'nddisposed within the frame 4.

A pitch cam 122 (see Figs. 3 and- 4)-has outer and -inner 'cup shaped cam members 124=-and 1 26. These cams have cut-outs 128 -and130 in their-respectiveperipheral cam edges. lever '132-pivoted at-fl134 (see Fig. 1) has a roll 136 for engaging' 'the-edges ofthe cams.

"The lower'end of the lever abuts thetreciprocable rod 50 previously referred'to.

"- The cammembers 124 and126 are adjustableso that their cam edges may form a continuous edge or'there 5 that pitch memberi ifl 01 42 determining? thexpitch of 1 the spring remainssstationary. t lf-thecam members are adjusted to provide a gap-:in theiriedges,:;the. lever 54 w is swung so that the pitch :of .the spring :is .varied by movement of the .pitch' member.

A circular cam 140 is provided on shaft 116,-.against which a screw r142.oflever;28 bears -(see- Fig; 1). Said :carn140 includes a'circular disc e142 whichisslidable ;.-tr.ansverselyon 1thei shaft i116 -so :that" it may be con- :centric with .or: eccentric'nelative ;to; the. axis ofsaid x:shaft.;116. A nutr144=securesethe disc in adjustediposithe r ting shaft..116, the

(see Fig. 6).

v.When the -carn..,disc 1,425. is c nc ntric ly rel t to .41 a uniform diameter. When eccentrically related, the lever 28 will be moved up and down so that the spring will have a varying diameter.

A ratchet wheel is fixed to shaft 114 and pawl arm 152 is oscillatable on said shaft. A pawl 154 on said arm 152 is urged into engagement with the teeth of wheel 150 by a spring pressed detent 156 (see Fig. 1). A spring 158 having opposite ends connected to arm 152 and framed urges arm 152 against a stop 160 ,-(see.Fig. 7). A holding pawl 162 for engaging the ratchet wheel is pivoted at 164.

An arm 166 pivoted at 168 to arm 152 has a free end 170 which rides on an eccentric 172 fixed to shaft 14. While shaft 14 is in rotation, ratchet wheel 150 is rotated by the eccentric in a step-by-step manner for rotation of the spring pitch shaft 114 and spring diameter shaft 116.

A clutch shifter is pivoted at 182 to a part 134 of the base and has a roll 186 in engagement with clutch 90 previously described (see Fig. 7).

A disc 188 fixed to shaft 114 is provided with holes 190 for receiving a pin 19?. which projects therefrom. The upper end of shifter 180 has a dog 194 pivoted at 196-thereto. As pin 19?; of disc 183 is rotated clockwise, it strikes the dog 194 and swings it against a stop 1% of the shifter so that the shifter is swung clockwise. In this movement, clutch 90 is moved from engagement with the worm 84 and into engagement with the teeth of cam' 9t'5. Thus the feed rolls come to rest and the cut-olfmechanism is operated by rotation of gears 100 and 106 to-eut off a formed-spring.

A second 'd og 200 pivoted to the shifter at 20215 arranged-to be engaged by cam lug 98' carried by the cam 98 as saidcam rotates in the cut off operation. Following the operation of the cut-off mechanism, said lug 96strikesdog 200which brings up against a stop 204' ofthershifter so that the shifter isswung counterclockwise-to-engage the clutch with the worm 84 whereby the winding mechanism-is again operated-for winding a spring.

Thus a spring is formed and then cut-off and, during the spring winding, the pitch and diameter thereof may be uniform or varied according to the adjustments of the cams 122 and 140 already described which control or determine the diameter and pitch of the spring .being wound.

A detent 2511 in the member 184 is pressed upwardly by a spring 252 and cooperates with a member 254 of the shifter to releasably hold the shifter in the spring winding position as shown in Fig. 7 or -in a position to bring about operation of the cut-off mechanism.

With the shifter 180 in its position to the left in Fig. 7, the feed rolls 8 and 10 are rotated to feed wire downward so that it is formed into a spring by member 26. The diameter of the spring during the winding will beuniformor variable according to the adjustment of-cam 140 and action of lever 28 operated by the cam.

The pitch of thespring during the winding will be uniform or variable according to the adjustment of cam 122 which actuates lever 132 acting on rod 50 which in turn operates lever 54 that carries rods 44 and 46 having the pitch members '40 and 4-2 below the rolls 8 and 10. The eccentric of shaft 14 through member 166 and pawl 154 rotates ratchet 150. When pin 192 strikes pawl 194- 'of lever 180 to swing it clockwise in Fig. 7 to declutch worm 8-1 and clutch 90, the rotation of the feed rolls is arrestedand the cut-off mechanism is operspring being wound i l h 75 ated from shaft 80 by clutching member 98 and clutch90.

The invention may be embodied in other specific forms withoutdeparting from the essential characteristics thereof. Hence, thepresent embodiments are therefore to be considered in all respects merely as being illustrative and -not.as;being.restrictive, the scope of the invention being indicated by theappended claims rather than by the foregoing description, and all modifications and variations ,aslfall within the meaning and purview and range of assesses equivalency of the appended claims are therefore intended to be embraced therein.

What it is desired to claim and secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. Apparatus for coiling wire in various pitches and diameters and for cutting off coil sections comprising in combination, a support, a feed roll shaft rotatable in said support having a first feed roll and a second feed roll rotatably mounted relative to said support cooperating with said first feed roll for feeding wire to be coiled, guide means for receiving wire from said rolls having a lower delivery end, a coiling lever having a coiling point to receive wire from said guide means and forming convolutions therein and being movable on said support to vary the distance between said coiling point and lower end of the guide means to vary the diameter of a coil, a pitch device movable in said support to engage convolutions and control and vary the pitch thereof, a drive shaft, cut-off mechanisrnfto cut off coil sections and actuating means therefor from said drive shaft, means for driving said feed rollshaft operable from said drive shaft, a clutch memberishiftable in opposite directions on the drive shaft and through which said actuating means of the cut-off mechanism and roll shaft driving means are alternately operably connected to said drive shaft, a coil pitch shaft rotatable in said support having a ratchet wheel, a shifter mounted on said support for swinging in opposite shifting directions and being operatively connected to said clutch, pawl means engageable with said ratchet wheel operable by said feed roll shaft to rotate said coil pitch shaft in step-by-step manner, an actuator device swingable on said coil pitch shaft arranged to engage and swing said shifter in one direction, said cut off mechanism including a member arranged to engage and swing said shifter in an opposite direction, means yieldirigly resisting swinging of said shifter, a spring diameter shaft rotatable in the support in parallelism with said pitch shaft and operative connections connecting said shafts, an adjustable pitch cam device on said pitch shaft, a pitch lever pivoted for swinging on said support and actuated by said pitch cam, operative connections between said lever and pitch device, and an adjustable diameter cam on said diameter shaft arranged to engage and actuate said coiling lever.

2. Apparatus for coiling wire set forth in claim 1 whereinimeans for driving said feed roll shaft includes a gear on said shaft and a toothed member in mesh therewith and. loose on and connectable with said shaft by said clutch.

3. Apparatus for coiling wire set forth in claim 1 wherein, said adjustable pitch cam device includes nested relativelyrotatable cams each having peripheral depressions and a nut threadedly engaging said pitch shaft holding said cams against relative movement.

4. Apparatus for coiling wire set forth in claim 1 wherein said adjustable diameter cam includes a disc having a central slot slidably receiving said diameter shaft for positioning the axis of said disc relative to the axis of said shaft and screw means for securing the disc to said shaft.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,149,942 Prentice Mar. 7, 1939 2,175,426 Blount et a1 Oct. 10, 1939 2,393,804 Nigro Jan. 29, 1946 2,655,973 Hoelsch Oct. 20, 1953 

